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Jorge Larrionda, from Uruguay, was one of the world’s best referees, but decided to retire at the end of 2011, although he is only 43 and would have had two more years of international refereeing. His early retirement appears to be caused by a recent proposal to join the new FIFA Referees Committee.

Larrionda became a FIFA referee in 1998 and his World Cup career started with a very controversial moment. In 2002, he was selected as a referee for the FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan, but was suspended for six months by the Uruguayan FA two days after his selection and was dropped from the list of referees. Larrionda was one of five referees suspended for what the president of the Uruguayan board described as "irregularities that were denounced by other referees”. Four years later he was selected asgain for the World Cup and he went to Germany, where he sent off 3 players during the match USA – Italy. FIFA appeared to be pleased and appointed him for the semi-final France – Portugal, where he awarded a penalty kick, successfully taken by Zidane, which was the only goal of the match and brought France in the final. In 2010, Larrionda was regarded as a potential candidate for the big final, but, unfortunately, he had to leave South Africa through the back door after the round of 16 match Germany – England, where his trio denied Lampard’s famous “goal”. Besides his two World Cups, Larrionda took part in two Copa Americas (2001, 2007), FIFA Confederations Cup (2003, 2009), Olympic Games 2004, FIFA U-20 World Cup 2005, as well as Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana finals.

Bulgarian football icon Hristo Stoichkov accused French referee Joel Quiniou of robbing him of his childhood dream of becoming FIFA World Cup champion in 1994. "As a child, I dreamed if becoming a football player, to win the Golden Ball, the Golden Boot. All of this came true", Stoichkov told state BNT television in an interview. "My biggest dream as a footballer was however crushed by a French referee. I will never forgive him", the 45-year-old former national team and Barcelona star striker said.

Stoichkov led Bulgaria's national team to the semifinals at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA, a game they lost 1-2 to Italy. Bulgarian football fans have accused French referee Joel Quiniou (photo) of robbing the team of an equalizer in the second half of the game by failing to penalise a handball by Italian Alessandro Costacurta. The slow motion repeat of the incident toured Bulgarian television channels at the time, sparking nationwide anger. "He mocked me, the coaches, the whole Bulgarian people. I've met him after that game in the US and I demonstratively spit in his face", the notoriously temperamental Stoichkov said on Thursday. The legendary striker was awarded the Golden boot as the World Cup's joint top goal scorer and also won France Football's Golden Ball award the same year.